One Sunderland journalist has defended his side despite their 2-1 defeat to Leeds United.
The Black Cats’ promotion chances were hampered as they lost out to Leeds United 2-1.
Sunderland went ahead courtesy of Frenchman Wilson Isidor, who notched his 12th of the 2024/25 Championship season with a brilliant eye for goal to bury it past Ilian Meslier, but two Pascal Struijk’s brace turned the game around, with the latter of the goals coming in the 95th minute.
The first half, in particular, was brilliant by the side, who went into the interval ahead by one goal, but Regis Le Bris’ lacklustre substitutions in the second half played into the eventual defeat.
Nonetheless, one Sunderland journalist was full of praise for the side, to the point where it was a ‘stroke of luck’ for Leeds United to collect all three points.
Sunderland journalist Michael Graham regards Leeds United win as ‘lucky’
The Black Cats were a matter of seconds away from matching the result of the reverse fixture, which saw Sunderland dit back and defend, only for Daniel Farke’s side to take advantage of their height on set pieces.
The result may put a significant dent in Sunderland’s promotion push, by one journalist was still full of praise for Sunderland as he suggests that Leeds United had ‘luck’ on their side.
Per Michael Graham on X, he said: “Real stroke of luck for you guys that. Could have gone anywhere. But such are the margins. The delivery for both goals was superb, so fair play.’
He went on in an additional post to suggest: “Proud of this team, proud of this club, loving this season, loving the journey and still got every chance of promotion. Ha’way lads.
“Will leave you all to your blame-gaming and scapegoating.”
It was the first away defeat for Sunderland in four league games, whilst Leeds United maintained their brilliant form on home turf.
Were the Black Cats unlucky to come away with Elland Road defeat
In a quality sense, Sunderland did impeccably well to match Leeds United across the pitch for large quantities of the game, something that a very select few Championship clubs can go by.
Certainly, in the first half, Sunderland weren’t too far behind the Whites across the pitch, but ultimately, the defeat came down to one thing, and that was the defensive tactics deployed in the second half.
Sunderland’s average position, per SofaScore, saw even Wilson Isidor take up a role sitting on the wrong side of the halfway line and bringing Salis Abdul Samed on during the second half in place of Chris Rigg, just two minutes before the first goal certainly didn’t help.
Abdul Samed is a player who has received plenty of stick, but it is simply the way he gets used by Le Bris, and how the qualities he possesses simply don’t line up with how Sunderland should be approaching such a game. As soon as Sunderland sat back to defend, they handed Leeds the opportunity to pin them against the wall, and they did just that.
Sunderland journalist regards Leeds United victory as ‘stroke of luck’ as he hints at ‘fine margins’ between the two
